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(N0 Mod SNAR RUM.

Patented Sept. 18, 1888 (1 XOJ a 03 m5 j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEEO HAROLD O. PLOXVE, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SNARE- OF SAME PLACE.

DRUM.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,594, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed July 2-2, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD G. PLOWE, of Peoria, in the county of Peoria, State of Illi nois,have invented an Improved Snare-Drum;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention consists, essentially, in pro viding with snares the batter-head of a drum, and in means for securing the same in place and adapting them to be tightened. It has long been the custom to secure in contact with the exterior surface of one of the heads of a drum several diametrical cords termed snares. By beating upon the opposite head of the drum the sound thereof is considerably intensified and sharpened by the vibration of said snares against its head. I have, however, noticed several defects inthis ordinary form of drum, among which was that of a prolonged and dis 2o agreeable humming after striking the drum,

which deadened its clearness of tone and prolonged the length of strokes which were desired to be sharp and quick. In addition to this, the soft or piano taps were unable to gain a response from the snares, and were hence deprived of the vibrant quality of tone which was given to the more vigorous music. In striving to overcome these defects I finally discovered that by furnishing snares to the upper or batter head of the drum in addition to, or even exclusively of, the snares on the usual snarehead the disagreeable singing of the drum was entirely prevented, and I gained an instant and sure response of the snares to even the lightest blows on the batterhead. Owing to the fact that the edge of the drum and the tightening hoop extended down about the upper edge of the drum-cylinder, I

found it to be extremely difficult to furnish the 4 batter-head with the desired snares. The attachment of the snares I last accomplished by means of the following described devices.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical cen tral section of my improved druin. Fig. 2 is a perspective view,upon a larger seale,of the snare tightener and holder. Fig. 3 is a perspeclive view of the clamp for one end of the snares. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of a portion of the drum provided with a modified form of the snare-tightencr.

The drum-cylinder O, as usually arrangcd,is

Serial No. 208,711. (No model.)

provided with batter-head B, snarchead D, snares E, and tightening-hoops F.

My snares A are secured in place against the interior surface of the batter-head B by having one end thereof held by the clamp K and at the other end passing about the roller L and connected to the tightening device. Said clamp consists of the plate K, having its upper edge slightly notched or serrated to re 6c ceive the different cords of the snare A, and provided with screws J J for holding said plate tightly against the surface of the cyl nder 0, and thereby bind therebetween the inserted ends of the cords. The object of said serrations K is to retain the cords composing the snare A at exact actual distances apart, and thereby improve the quality of the tone which they impart to the batter-head by keeping them from interfering with each other.

The oflice of the upper portion of the clamp K is to hold the snare A in contact with the batter-head, the lower portion, K, being the real clamp.

The roller L, grooved to correspond with the serrations K", and for the same reason, is mounted in bearings N at the upper end of the plate N, secured to the interior of the cylinder G. Pivoted to the lower portion of said plate N is the tightening-arm M, adjusted toward and from the said roller L by means of the thumb screw P, passing through to the outside of the drum. The snares,being attached to said arm and passing about the roller L to the clamp diametrically opposite thereto, are thereby held in contact with the batter-head and enabled to be tightened or loosened by simply turning the thumb screw 1.

To attach the snares to the arm M, I usually form the upper end of the latter with the cross-bar M, about which I loop the cords composing the snares, one length of cord pass ing twice across the drum and having its ends fastened together by the clamp K, while its center is looped about the crossbar M.

The snare-head D is provided with the snares E, tightened in the usual way or by means of the device consisting of the rightand-left handed screw E,engaging with nuts I one of which is anchored to the cylinder and the other to said snares.

Other forms of snare-tightencrs can be our ployed in place of the arm M, previously described,without destroying the integrity of my invention. Instead of said arrangement, the snares A can be passed about the rollerL or a smooth cross-arm angularly through the side of the drum-cylinder O to the exterior thereof, and be connected with a tightener,E, suitably anchored at its otherend or connected to the snares E, so that both sets of snares can be made taut at the same time.

In my previously-described means for overcoming the disagreeable humming which accompanied the beating of the ordinary snaredrum I have mentioned alone the employment of the snares in contact with the batterhead. This is my most desirable construction for the purpose; but there are several modifi cations thereof which I have devised that are capable of performing the same function. For instance, a strip of any suitable materialas cloth,felt,rubber,leather,8tc.-canbestretched across the drum-head in contact with its surface. Even wooden or metallic strips elastically impressed against the batter-head serve to overcome said undesirable over tones; but since the snares perform this office fully as well, or even better, than the other arrangements, and are capable of other highly desirable results, I prefer to employ said snares for the purpose, not restricting myself, however, to the same.

As a general term for designating the snares and the other strips for deadening and damping the humming of the drum I employ the word damper.

\Vhat I claim as my invention,and for which I desire Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit 1. In a drum, the combination, with the bat ter-head, of a flexible damper stretched across and in contact with the inner face of said head, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a drum, the combination,with the batter-head, of the snares secured in contact with the interior surface thereof, for the purposes set forth.

3. In a drum, the combinatibmwith the batter-head and the 'snarehead provided with the exterior snares, of the snares A, secured in contact'with the interior surface of said batterhead, for the purposes specified.

4. The combination,with the drum-cylinder and the batter-head, of the snares A,anchored to the interiorof said cylinder in contact with the batter-head, the roller connected to said cylinder opposite to said anchorage, and a tightening device, said snares passing about said roller to the tightening device, substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

5. Inadrum,theeoinbinatiomwiththedrum, of the clamp, the plate N, the roller L,mounted in said plate, the arm M, having crossbar M and pivoted to said plate, the thumb-screw P, engaging with the arm, and the snares A, terminally secured by said clamp and cross-bar and passing about said roller, substantially as described.

6. In a drum,the eombination,with the drum and the snares, of the serrated clamp for bold ing said snares, substantially as set forth.

7. In a drum,the combination, with the cylinder and the batter-head, of the notched or serrated clamp K, the grooved roller L, the snares A, and a tightening device, for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 19th day of July, in the year 1886 HAROLD O. PLOVVE. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

F. S. \VENK, A. B. UPHAM. 

